Sunday, December 14, 2014

Hi
It has been a few weeks since my last posting. In that time I have been in a pretty dark place with my body/immune system. Chemotherapy 12 days ago, 5 hour blood transfusion due to being very anaemic and extremely low red blood cells. As a result my breathing has been restricted with chest tightening upon little exertion including light walking (thank goodness for park benches lol to lie down on and rest a few minutes)!

We are enjoying a few days in beautiful warm and sunny Tasmania by the beach to regain my strength and energy to fight this mesothelioma beast once again! I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!! Lying on the bed listening to the gentle and rolling sound of the waves, light meditation and looking out to sea and the lighthouse in the distance across at Lowhead - very tranquil and peaceful - perfect medicine for me to regain the fight!

This year we have lost so many beautiful and brave mesothelioma warriors thanks to deadly asbestos greed. I had become friends with these warriors and their families. Totally senseless deaths. We need to keep uniting on a global front to eradicate all asbestos worldwide. In unity we are strong!

My heart goes out to many warriors who are doing it tough at the moment - treatment, scans etc.

Christmas and holidays for many are just around the corner - cherish your family and friends, without them we are empty in our hearts.

Channel 9 putting home renovators at risk of deadly asbestos exposure with reckless ads for The Block

Asbestos
advocates have slammed a Channel 9 promotion for the new series of The
Block, saying its dangerous disregard for safety could lead to home
renovators suffering from deadly asbestos diseases due to dust exposure.

The
Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia urged management from the
network to immediately pull the advertisements from the airwaves.

The
video, promoting the 2015 series of The Block which is currently in
production in Melbourne, features contestants using jackhammers, angle
grinders, saws, sledge hammers and drills to tear through three units —
covering themselves and occupants in clouds of dust.

ADFA
president Barry Robson said not one person in the video was wearing any
form of breathing protection, with contestants breaking through areas
of older homes likely to be riddled with asbestos.

“Any
house or unit built before 1987 has a good chance of containing
asbestos, whether it was built from brick, weatherboard, or fibro,” Mr
Robson said.

“People
falsely think asbestos is only found in fibro sheets, but it can be
found under floor coverings, behind tiles, in cement floors, around hot
water pipers, in walls, ceilings, insulation products and fire
protection.

“In
their advertisement, The Block shows contestants smashing through many
of these high-risk areas, in properties of an era where asbestos is
likely to be present, all without any safety precautions being in
place.”

Mr
Robson said he was horrified by the commercial and feared it could lead
to countless home renovators exposing themselves to deadly asbestos due
to unsafe work practices.

“I
was left absolutely speechless, with contestants shown falling through a
ceiling, bringing clouds of dust and debris onto unsuspecting home
owners, as power tools are shown tearing through the units,” he said.

“This
is what happens when TV producers and advertisers, with no
understanding of the very real dangers of asbestos, put the promotion of
their product above the safety of their viewers.

“These
ads need to be taken off the air immediately, The Block needs to ensure
their units are asbestos free and viewers must be warned of the very
real dangers posed to home renovators.

“Every
year about 1,000 Australians die from asbestos diseases, with people
exposed during home renovations the fastest growing group, which is why
this behaviour is so dangerous.”

Lou's comment: Absolutely appalling and total ignorance of the deadly dangers of all asbestos! Putting innocent lives at risk both on television and the home renovators who will look at this video and think if they can do it then so can I - What is the big deal about 'asbestos' - something has to kill me one day! These idiots forget they are not invisible and are exposing their family and friends to deadly asbestos fibres every time they endanger their own lives by going gungho and removing asbestos from their homes. By simply releasing invisible fibres into the air they are exposing everyone. As these fibres can stay dormant in your body for 20 to 40 years before deadly mesothelioma presents itself many people are of the attitude that asbestos awareness is over-rated! Let me tell these idiots it is not! I would not wish mesothelioma cancer on anyone - it is a painful and aggressive cancer that will literally take your breath away!